Kelley Blue Book

The Kelley Blue Book has been a trusted source for vehicle pricing since 1926. Below is the story of how Les Kelley the founder, became and still is the go to place for used car valuation.

Les Kelley

Les Kelley saw the opportunity to buy and sell used cars, and he kept a detailed log of what he bought them for and what he would like to get for them, this is the basis of the existing site today, and is visited by over 22 million unique visitors each year.

“More than 50% of car buyers visit the KBB site before purchasing or selling a car,” Karl Brauer (Executive Publisher)

In our first ever Guest publication, Michael from Consumer Advocates introduces the story for us. Enjoy.

There’s a connection many older American car owners have which is rarely noted. For the majority of us, our first car was a used one. Outside of having a mechanically inclined friend or relative, many of us had to research our first purchases as best we could. Prior to the internet, there was a single universal and dependable source to garner used car knowledge – to discover what you should (and shouldn’t) be paying for a car, the important questions to ask the previous owner, and the longevity of the car in question. We all researched, discussed, even pined over… our Kelley Blue Books.

Many thanks to Michael for reaching out to us here at Car Air Bike Museums. We are always open to suggestions, and guest publications. Also thanks to Bridget Cassidy the author of the Kelley Blue Book article.

When it comes to Aviation, higher and faster is typically the name of the game, and one aircraft was trying to make its mark by flying faster than any rotor-wing aircraft at the time.

In 1962, the Lockheed Aircraft Company came out with the XH-51A, which was the second in a series of rotor-wing aircraft and was an evolution of the CL-475 aircraft, which utilized a revolutionary rigid-rotor system, according to Bob Mitchell, U.S. Army Aviation Museum curator.

Although the XH-51’s looks aren’t very striking, the helicopter was able to achieve speeds that few rotor-wing aircraft could attain – close to 300 knots – with average speeds of helicopters at the time reaching 80-90 knots, said Mitchell.

Ask Jeff Lane the story behind one of the wacky vehicles at his Nashville auto museum and he’ll give you every detail — from how many were produced to the inventor’s original intention.

Lane Motor Museum is a car lover’s paradise with some of the world’s most interesting vehicle creations and rare European collections, but without a good story, Lane says the cars are just pieces of metal.